TABITHAfEnglish, Biblical, Biblical GreekMeans "gazelle" in Aramaic. Tabitha in the New Testament was a woman restored to life by Saint Peter. Her name is translated into Greek as Dorcas (see Acts 9:36). As an English name, Tabitha became common after the Protestant Reformation. It was popularized in the 1960s by the television show 'Bewitched', in which Tabitha (sometimes spelled Tabatha) is the daughter of the main character.

TACEYfEnglish (Archaic)Derived from Latin tace meaning "be silent". It was in use from the 16th century, though it died out two centuries later.

TAFARImEastern African, Amharic (Rare)Possibly means "he who inspires awe" in Amharic. This name was borne by Lij Tafari Makonnen (1892-1975), also known as Haile Selassie, the last emperor of Ethiopia. Rastafarians (Ras Tafari meaning "king Tafari") revere him as the earthly incarnation of God.

TAFFYmWelshAnglicized form of DAFYDD. It has been used a slang term for a Welshman.

TAKAKOfJapaneseFrom Japanese 孝 (taka) meaning "filial piety" and 子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other combinations of kanji characters.

TAKARAm & fJapaneseFrom Japanese 宝 (takara) meaning "treasure, jewel", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations with the same pronunciation.

TAKASHImJapaneseFrom Japanese 孝 (takashi) meaning "filial piety", 隆 (takashi) meaning "noble, prosperous" or 崇 (takashi) meaning "esteem, honour, venerate", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that result in the same pronunciation.

TAKUMImJapaneseFrom Japanese 匠 (takumi) meaning "artisan" or 巧 (takumi) meaning "skillful". It can also come from 拓 (taku) meaning "expand, open, support" combined with 海 (mi) meaning "sea, ocean" or 実 (mi) meaning "fruit, good result, truth". This name can also be formed of other kanji combinations.

TAKUYAmJapaneseFrom Japanese 拓 (taku) meaning "expand, open, support" combined with 也 (ya) meaning "also" or 哉 (ya), an exclamation. This name can be formed with other kanji combinations as well.

TALIBmArabicMeans "seeker of knowledge, student" in Arabic. Abu Talib was an uncle of Muhammad who raised him after his parents and grandparents died. His name was in fact a kunya (a nickname) formed using Abu; his real name may have been Imran.

TALIESINmWelsh, Arthurian RomanceMeans "shining brow", derived from Welsh tal "brow" and iesin "shining". This was the name of a 6th-century Welsh poet and bard. In later Welsh legends he is portrayed as a wizard and prophet, or as a companion of King Arthur.

TALINfArmenianFrom the name of an Armenian town (meaning unknown), which is home to a famous 7th-century cathedral.

TALLULAHfEnglish (Rare)Popularly claimed to mean "leaping waters" in the Choctaw language, it may actually mean "town" in the Creek language. This is the name of waterfalls in Georgia. It was borne by American actress Tallulah Bankhead (1902-1968), who was named after her grandmother, who may have been named after the waterfalls.

TAMARfHebrew, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans "date palm" in Hebrew. According to the Old Testament Tamar was the daughter-in-law of Judah and later his wife. This was also the name of a daughter of King David. She was raped by her half-brother Amnon, leading to his murder by her brother Absalom. The name was borne by a 12th-century ruling queen of Georgia who presided over the kingdom at the peak of its power.

TANCREDmOld NormanNorman form of a Germanic name meaning "thought and counsel", derived from the elements thank "thought" and rad "counsel". This was the name of a leader of the First Crusade, described by Torquato Tasso in his epic poem 'Jerusalem Delivered' (1580).

TANEmMaori, Polynesian MythologyMeans "man" in Maori. In Maori and other Polynesian mythology Tane was the god of forests and light. He was the son of the sky god Rangi and the earth goddess Papa, who were locked in an embrace and finally separated by their son. He created the tui bird and, by some accounts, man.

TANITHfSemitic MythologyDerived from Semitic roots meaning "serpent lady". This was the name of the Phoenician goddess of love, fertility, the moon and the stars. She was particularly associated with the city of Carthage, being the consort of Ba'al Hammon.

TARA (1)fEnglishAnglicized form of the Irish place name Teamhair, which possibly means "elevated place" in Gaelic. This was the name of the sacred hill near Dublin where the Irish high kings resided. It was popularized as a given name by the novel 'Gone with the Wind' (1936) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1939), in which it is the name of the O'Hara plantation.

TARA (2)fHinduism, Indian, Hindi, NepaliMeans "star" in Sanskrit. Tara is the name of a Hindu astral goddess, the wife of Brhaspati. She was abducted by Soma, a god of the moon, leading to a great war that was only ended when Brahma intervened and released her. This is also the name of a Buddhist deity (a female Buddha).

TARANISmCeltic MythologyDerived from Celtic taran meaning "thunder", cognate with Þórr (see THOR). This was the name of the Gaulish thunder god, who was often identified with the Roman god Jupiter.

TARASmUkrainian, RussianUkrainian and Russian form of the Greek name Ταρασιος (Tarasios), which possibly means "from Taras". Taras was an Italian city, now called Taranto, which was founded by Greek colonists in the 8th century BC and was named for the Greek mythological figure Taras, a son of Poseidon. Saint Tarasios was an 8th-century bishop of Constantinople. It was also borne by the Ukrainian writer and artist Taras Shevchenko (1814-1861).

TARHUNNAmNear Eastern MythologyFrom Hittite or Luwian tarh meaning "to cross, to conquer". This was the name of the Hittite god of the weather, storms, and the sky, and the slayer of the dragon Illuyanka. He was closely identified with the Hurrian god Teshub, and sometimes with the Semitic god Hadad.

TARIQmArabicMeans "he who knocks at the door" in Arabic. This is the Arabic name of the morning star. Tariq ibn Ziyad was the Islamic general who conquered Spain for the Umayyad Caliphate in the 8th century.

TATANKAmNative American, SiouxFrom Lakota tȟatȟáŋka meaning "bull". This is the first part of the name of the Lakota holy man and chief Tatanka Iyotake (1831-1890), translated into English as Sitting Bull.

TATEmEnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the Old English given name Tata, of unknown origin.

TATIUSmRoman Mythology, Ancient RomanRoman family name of unknown meaning, possibly of Sabine origin. According to Roman legend, Titus Tatius was an 8th-century BC king of the Sabines who came to jointly rule over the Romans and Sabines with the Roman king Romulus.

TAYLORm & fEnglishFrom an English surname that originally denoted someone who was a tailor, from Norman French tailleur, ultimately from Latin taliare "to cut". Its modern use as a feminine name may have been influenced by the British-American author Taylor Caldwell (1900-1985).

TEGIDmWelshPossibly derived from Welsh teg "fair", or possibly from the Roman name TACITUS. This is the Welsh name of a lake in Wales, called Bala Lake in English. It also occurs in medieval Welsh legends as the husband of Ceridwen.

TEGWENfWelshDerived from the Welsh elements teg "fair" and gwen "blessed".

TEMUJINmHistoryMeans "of iron" in Mongolian, derived ultimately from the Turkic word temür "iron". This was the original name of the Mongolian leader better known by the title Genghis Khan. Born in the 12th century, he managed to unite the tribes of Mongolia and then conquer huge areas of Asia and Eastern Europe.